The Criminal Legal Aid (Standard Crime Contract) (Amendment) Regulations 2025
These regulations, effective October 1st, 2025, amend three sets of UK criminal legal aid regulations—General, Remuneration, and Financial Resources—to reflect the replacement of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract with the 2025 version.
The amendments update references to the contract throughout the existing regulations and also update references to the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work to its latest version.
A transitional provision ensures that pre-existing determinations are unaffected, and the regulations only apply to services provided under the new contract.
Arguments For
Updating Legislation: Aligns legal frameworks with the updated 2025 Standard Crime Contract, ensuring consistency and clarity in the criminal legal aid system.
Improved Efficiency: Streamlines processes by updating references and stipulations across various related regulations, potentially reducing administrative burden.
Contractual Compliance: Ensures providers of criminal legal aid services operate under the most current contractual agreements, promoting accountability and transparency.
Legal Certainty: Provides clear legal guidance on the implications of the new contract, minimizing ambiguity and potential disputes.
Modernization: Reflects changes and improvements in the 2025 Standard Crime Contract, which may incorporate lessons learned from the previous version or reflect evolving needs in managing applications and payment processes.
Arguments Against
Administrative Burden: Implementing the changes may place a short-term administrative burden on relevant bodies responsible for updating their systems and processes.
Potential for Oversights: The numerous amendments increase the risk of accidental errors or oversights during the implementation phase.
Unforeseen Consequences: While an impact assessment suggests limited private/voluntary sector effects, unforeseen complications could arise upon broader implementation.
Resource Allocation: The updating work requires the allocation of resources within the Ministry of Justice and related entities.
Lack of Public Consultation: Absence of details on public consultation before implementation may raise concerns about transparency and feedback.
- Citation, commencement and extent (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Criminal Legal Aid (Standard Crime Contract) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 and come into force on 1st October 2025. (2) These Regulations extend to England and Wales.
This section establishes the title and effective date (October 1st, 2025) for these regulations, specifying their application to England and Wales.
- Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (1) The Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 are amended as follows. (2) In each of the following places, for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”— (a) regulation 2 (interpretation), in both places it occurs, (b) regulation 8(b) (applications), (c) regulation 11(3) (general), (d) regulation 14 (applications), in both places it occurs, (e) regulation 15(1)(b) (determinations), (f) regulation 16(e)(ii) (withdrawal), and (g) regulation 17(b) (appeal).
This section details amendments to the 2013 Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations.
Specifically, it mandates replacing all instances of “2022 Standard Crime Contract” with “2025 Standard Crime Contract” within several specified regulations, impacting various aspects from definitions and applications to appeals.
- Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (1) The Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 are amended as follows. (2) In each of the following places, for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”— (a) regulation 8 (claims for fees for certain categories of work to which the Standard Crime Contract applies), in both places it occurs, and (b) paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 4 (rates payable for the claims specified in regulation 8). (3) In paragraph 2(8) of Schedule 4, for “Annex A to the 2022 Standard Crime Contract Guidance for reporting crime lower work” substitute “Annex A to version 18 (February 2025) of the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work”. (4) In paragraph 2A(5) of Schedule 4, for “Annex A to version 16 (December 2023) of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract Guidance for reporting crime lower work” substitute “Annex A to version 18 (February 2025) of the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work”.
This section outlines amendments to the 2013 Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations.
It also requires replacing “2022 Standard Crime Contract” with “2025 Standard Crime Contract” in specified parts, affecting payment claims and related schedules.
It further updates references to the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work to version 18 (February 2025).
- Amendments to the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013 In regulation 5(2) (advice and assistance: exceptions from requirement to make a determination in respect of an individual’s financial resources) of the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013, for “2022 Standard Crime Contract” substitute “2025 Standard Crime Contract”, in both places it occurs.
This section specifies amendments to the 2013 Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations, focusing on replacing instances of "2022 Standard Crime Contract" with "2025 Standard Crime Contract" within regulation 5(2) which deals with exceptions to financial resource determination processes for advice and assistance.
- Transitional provision (1) These Regulations do not apply to services made available pursuant to a determination made before 1st October 2025 where the provider of those services does not hold a 2025 Standard Crime Contract. (2) In this regulation, “determination” means a determination under section 13 (advice and assistance for individuals in custody), 15 (advice and assistance for criminal proceedings) or 16 (representation for criminal proceedings) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. (3) In this regulation, “provider” means a person who provides criminal legal aid pursuant to an arrangement with the Lord Chancellor under section 2(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.
This section includes a transitional provision.
It clarifies that these regulations do not impact services already existing before October 1, 2025, unless provided by those holding a 2025 Standard Crime Contract.
Subsections (2) and (3) define “determination” and “provider” for clarity within the context of this transitional provision.
Explanatory Note (This note is not part of the Regulations) These Regulations amend the Criminal Legal Aid (General) Regulations 2013 (“the General Regulations”), the Criminal Legal Aid (Remuneration) Regulations 2013 (“the Remuneration Regulations”), and the Criminal Legal Aid (Financial Resources) Regulations 2013 (“the Financial Regulations”). The General Regulations and the Financial Regulations together prescribe circumstances in which an individual qualifies for criminal legal aid under Part 1 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (“the Act”). The Remuneration Regulations make provision for the funding and remuneration of services made available under sections 13, 15 and 16 of the Act. These Regulations amend the General Regulations, the Financial Regulations and the Remuneration Regulations to reflect the replacement of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract with the 2025 Standard Crime Contract on 1st October 2025. The Standard Crime Contract governs the contractual relationship between providers (organisations delivering criminal legal aid services) and the Lord Chancellor. These Regulations also update references in the Remuneration Regulations to the Standard Crime Contract Guidance for Reporting Crime Lower Work (“the Guidance”), to reflect the latest version of the Guidance, being version 18 (February 2025). Regulation 5 provides that these Regulations do not apply to remainder work carried out under the 2022 Standard Crime Contract, with “remainder work” defined in clause 1.1 of the 2022 Standard Crime Contract. These Regulations apply to determinations for criminal legal aid made on or after 1st October 2025, but also in relation to work done prior to 1st October 2025 by operation of Clause 1.28 of the 2025 Standard Crime Contract. A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.
The explanatory note summarizes the regulations’ purpose: to update related legislation to reflect the new 2025 Standard Crime Contract for criminal legal aid in the UK. It highlights the updated contractual agreement between service providers and the Lord Chancellor and mentions an update to a related guidance document.
The note clarifies that the regulations only apply to work starting October 1st, 2025 and onwards, except for specific provisions for pre-existing cases.
The note also states that a formal impact assessment was not considered necessary due to a predicted lack of significant consequences for the private and voluntary sectors.